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A lot or a little?

The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.

Positive Messages

The Men in Black team police sometimes-unruly alien visitors, while ensuring that the populace remains ignorant of the extraterrestrial tourists. The show reinforces ideas that law enforcement is a positive force that's necessary to maintain societal order.

Positive Role Models & Representations

Agents K and M bravely face dangerous aliens and protect Earth, without expecting any kind of recognition from the oblivious people of this planet. Not only do they take on this thankless task without complaint, they do it with style and aplomb.

Violence

Some animated fight scenes. The Men in Black use a wide variety of weaponry, ranging from tiny handguns to massive machine gun/blasters, to take on various aliens. There isn’t really any blood or intense violence, but the aliens tend to ooze, spurt, squirt, or spit bodily fluids.

Sex

Language

Consumerism

The Men in Black animated series fits into a growing franchise, which was based on a popular comic book and now includes two feature films and plenty of merchandise.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this animated series, which closely follows the popular Men in Black feature film, involves some cartoon violence and a large arsenal of unusual weapons used against an enormous array of extraterrestrials. The series' violence is countered by humor, so most kids should be able to handle it.

What's the story?

Most of the people on Earth are blissfully ignorant that the planet is a busy crossroads for a vast array of interplanetary travelers that often cause trouble. Good thing Agent K and Agent J of the Men in Black unit are here to keep order, make sure all the aliens stay out of trouble, and most importantly, that they all stay out of sight. This animated series picks up where the popular Men in Black movie left off (with a few changes, notably that Agent K, the Tommy Lee Jones character from the film, is back on the team, even though he retired at the end of the movie).

Is it any good?

The fun MEN IN BLACK: THE SERIES keeps the lighthearted, whimsical tone that made the film so entertaining. The focus is less on the action than on amusing alien creations and the MIB team’s deadpan response to outlandish situations. The contrast between the wacky conflicts, the oblivious bystanders, and the straight-laced agents is comic genius. It worked perfectly in the movie, and the show just delivers more of the same.

Talk to your kids about ...

Families can talk about aliens. Do you think there’s intelligent life out there in space? What clues do you have?

Talk about the violence in the show. What makes the violence more or less intense than in other animated series? Does humor mixed with violence make it easier to handle? Does it desensitize viewers?

How does the series fit into the growing Men in Black franchise. How does this show compare to the Men in Black film upon which it is based? How do they both compare to the original comic series? Are you more tempted to buy MIB merchandise after seeing this show?

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